Ages of Revelation: Book 1 Contemplation
by Corianin
Summary: Bella, the Cullens, their friends, and their acquaintances, must find some way to pull together now. The Apocalypse is coming, and it's heading straight for Forks. They will all need to pool their knowledge and their faith in one another to overcome the odds that are stacking against them in increasing numbers.
1. Chapter 1

Author's note: And here we go. This will be the last set of Books in the Ages series. Not to worry, there is still MUCH more story to tell. But here is where we begin to enter the third act. So let me offer you some homemade popcorn and some cold drinks. Is the volume up high enough? Everyone comfortable? Very well. Time to dim the lights and raise the curtain. I give you...revelations.

* * *

The group in the room was subdued, quiet, in the wake of the vampiress' story. She knew it was a lot for them to take in, but she saw that they weren't writing it off as a fairy tale, which gave her hope.

"So, what, that's it? The guy goes nuts and wanders off? What does this have to do with anything?" Jess asked curiously. By this point, all dessert had been finished and everyone was relaxing. Caralla was about to continue, but a look on Angela's face made her pause. ~Yes,~ she thought, ~you're beginning to see.~ Instead of answering, she sat in her chair and regarded the quiet brunette with a small smile.

"I think..." Angela started, shocking everyone as she really hadn't said much all evening, "...maybe...it has everything to do with things." She looked over at Caralla for confirmation and the woman saw the hesitance in the girl's eyes – hesitance, and the seeds of an understanding that was larger than even she knew.

"You're right, Angela," Caralla said softly. "Keep in mind where the story stands now. In the mortal realm reside quite a few former immortals sent down to relay messages and instructions of peace and goodwill. Two of these messengers – the two leaders, in fact – have not only had their quite divergent paths cross, but it has happened in such a way as to cause a ridiculous amount of tragedy and irreparable damage to both. So now the remaining immortals on the eternal plane have had to watch as one who was formerly beloved of their number is driven to insanity by the revelation of his own deeds. On top of all that, the other leader was completely destroyed, unable to return as was the original plan, and the seed that had taken root, the child of Celestial and Firstborn, was the only mortal that they knew of that was created without a soul at all – the very thing the immortal ones had gone to war over. Confusion and chaos was epidemic. And through it all, the Creator stayed silent, as though the entire situation was unimportant now.

"I think it would be safe to say that once more the heavens, as it were, were divided. All were equally horrified at the tangled and dismal fate of two of their kindred, but that was the end of the agreements. Some were frightened. If their maker would do something so heinous to the chosen leaders of the mortal delegation, what other atrocities could be committed on a whim? Some were reluctant to state an opinion on the situation at all. Yet another group was adamant that, regardless of what happened, it was all according to the plan of the Maker, and that things would unfold as they were supposed to because they could go no other way. The first group would counter with the question of why – why would this be part of any plan? Why would the Creator be so harsh, so tyrannical? What purpose could this chaos serve?

"While debate raged once more in the timeless realms, life among mortals continued on. Those ambassadors remaining amongst the human race continued with their long lives, gently urging their mortal counterparts to feats of kindness and goodwill, working their hardest to combat the inflammatory ideas of greed and hate. And as the centuries passed in the mortal realm, the long-lived delegates began to die. Without fail, their souls returned to their eternal home...and one by one they were horrified to learn what had occurred while they were away. This group of delegates became the most vocal in their outcries. As more and more of them shed their mortal shells and rejoined their immortal brethren, their voices rang out at the injustice and the sheer wrongness that they felt. By this point, most of the immortals had begun watching their former ambassador as he struggled through wilderness and jungle and desert, sanity seeping through the cloud of deranged thoughts with less and less frequency. They were watching as he destroyed himself from the inside out."

"And the Creator didn't do anything? That's just...evil," Bella whispered, most of the room nodding agreement with her sentiment. Once more Caralla found herself watching Angela, seeing the wheels turning in the girls mind as she considered everything she'd heard.

"Not really evil," the girl said quietly, less reluctant to speak than she was before. "After all, maybe there was a reason this had to happen this way. I'm not saying it was right, but that it was...necessary, in a way."

"How?" Rose piped up from her seat beside her husband. Angela looked at Caralla, who urged the girl on with a small gesture. Taking a deep breath, Angela stared at the floor as she tried to put a collection of impressions in a line that would make sense.

"See, these immortals that came to visit...they had a very specific job. The Creator put Div and Rov in charge for a reason – likely because of all of their kind, they were the ones willing to step forward for no purpose other than concern over humanity. Neither of them sought glory or regard, or the destruction of the 'animals,'" she said, her voice gaining certainty with each word. "And they were the two most affected by the change from immortality to mortality. I don't know what purpose the soulless child would have served, but maybe its entire reason was to just exist for that short time. Not to be born, not to do anything, not to experience life, but to simply exist...to die at it's father's hand."

"But, why?" Edward asked, seeming very disturbed by the thought. Caralla knew he would be, being the most vociferous of the Cullens on the subject of souls. Angela spoke up again, but it wasn't a reply. Instead she addressed the ancient immortal directly.

"Caralla, what happened to Div?"

"Do you want the long version or the short version?" she chuckled. Angela thought a moment before responding.

"Just sum it up. I have a...hunch..." The quiet girl said, causing the raven-haired vampire to smile inwardly as she answered.

"His periods of sanity waxed and waned, but with every lucid period he became more bitter and hateful of the circumstances of his life. Being partially immortal still – hence the longevity – he could be killed, but he wouldn't die of natural causes for a very long time. He began searching for ways to end his continued existence. Failing over and over again, he began to have fewer and fewer sane moments. Eventually he was almost completely swallowed by his deteriorating mental state. During one of his few last periods of mental stability, he cursed...well, everything really. The heavens, the earth, mortals, immortals; you name it, he expended the last of his immortal soul, the final remnant of the Creator's gift, to pledge an unending war against all living things that possessed immortal souls such as he had once had. Until such time as his torment could be avenged, the world would be doomed to destruction and chaos, and ultimately Armageddon. The only possibility of saving anything would be if the powers of good and evil could be combined into a child with a pure soul, a child as he felt his had deserved to be and was cheated of. He believed in his anger and pain that such a union could not be possible, and as such died knowing he'd left every souled creature at the mercy of his last act of destruction." Angela nodded, but the rest of the room traded confused looks.

"So...good and evil have to blend somehow or everyone will die?" This came from Alice where she sat comfortably in Jasper's lap. Caralla would have answered but Angela's soft words beat her to the punch.

"Sort of. I'm guessing he was in agony over not only killing his partner and their child, but devastated about finding out the child had no soul to begin with...that out of all of the wars, all of the fighting, all of the things he and the others had endured to protect the immortal souls of the Creator's mortal pets, to find that his own baby was not deemed worthy of that gift – it had to be the biggest slap in the face. 'Thank you for all your trouble and all that you've done to further the human race. As your reward your offspring will not be granted either immortality or a soul. Have a nice day.' That had to hurt more than anything else, I'd say." She ended her sentence on a slightly higher note, turning the statement into a pseudo-question as she looked over at Caralla.

"You've come very close to being correct, my dear. Knowing that it was his own pride and vanity that led him to this path would have been a bitter enough pill to swallow, but the lack of soul for his own child was adding insult to injury. So he determined that everyone else should feel his pain, in one way or another. What better way then to curse the entirety of the Creator's creatures with agony and destruction unless they could somehow fulfill a task that was thought to be impossible?" Caralla sighed, closing her eyes. "Of course, after his death, the Celestial realm was in a panic. Who would have thought that one of their own – one formerly of their number – could have such vindictiveness, to lay such a burden on the very planes he'd once sought to unify in peace? As all eyes and voices turned towards the Creator, something they never expected occurred. The Creator turned and left their presence, abdicating the Celestial realm for one higher still, from whence to stay and observe all of creation – mortal and eternal realms both. That single act caused an irreparable split amongst the immortal ones. Some felt that there was a purpose in their beloved Maker's defection and swore to uphold the ideals and teaching that the Creator had bestowed on them. The other group felt that if even the Creator was backing out of this debacle, that there was nothing further to be done and the concepts of good and peace were given up as lost causes. The souls that had once been encased in mortal bodies that had gained entrance to the immortal realm were caught between; not having the knowledge of the Celestials or the understanding of the aeons that had gone before meant that they could not have perfect faith that all was going as it should. But neither could they completely fall in with those who believed everything was for naught. After all, they had made it to the immortal realm, did they not? Even if it wasn't quite what they had imagined – what ever was? - they still made it. Their lives had been pledged to the light, and they had achieved their eternal goal. They refused to choose sides, instead becoming the peacekeepers of a neutral realm that branched off separately."

"Heaven, hell, and purgatory," Carlisle murmured, the first thing he'd really spoken since Caralla's storytelling had begun. "So that was the origins of the belief of three immortal realms." She nodded.

"Thus was the immortal realm divided. All three groups were frantically trying to determine a way around the former Div's last act of vengeance. Those in what we'll call Heaven tried to remain optimistic, stating that true evil would never survive in the human realm. There simply wasn't enough fuel for it to flourish, what with the peacekeepers that had been sent down and returned. As such, they wanted to believe that Div's attack would simply fade to nothing. How could good and evil combine if evil ceased to exist? The ones who populated what would typically be called Hell took a different approach. Div, regardless of how he died and lived as a mortal, had been an immortal first. They didn't believe the Firstborn would have left such a large loophole for his curse to fail. The only way to end everything would be to mix evil and good to create a pure soul and imprint it into an unborn child. It led to a lot of experimenting and the creation of an untold number of creatures that were neither human or immortal but somewhere in between.

"At this time, the humans had begun to deliberately shape their own destinies. There was enough of good and of evil in the world that the lines between the two began to blur."

"How can that happen? Something's either good or not, right?" Jake asked, slightly puzzled. Caralla thought for a moment before answering.

"If you had a pet that was injured beyond hope of recovery, would you let it suffer or have it put down to spare it further agony?"

"I'm have it put to sleep. Why would I let it suffer needlessly? That's just cruel." He seemed horrified at the idea of causing an animal pain, and Caralla smiled.

"And if it was not your pet, but a human being, that was in such a situation? What then?" Jake opened his mouth, but nothing came out as he was struck by her words. She continued. "Why is it that something considered a mercy for a beloved animal is simultaneously considered heartless and abhorrent for a beloved human?" His jaws snapped shut with an audible click, and she regarded him fondly. "Jake, understand, evil and good as concepts are based on personal belief. When a group of people share a similar personal belief, then it becomes a majority rule. In some cases such beliefs become laws. In some, they become the basis for religious strictures.

"Think back to the most famous example of goodness that humanity has today – the Christian character of Jesus Christ. Speculation on parentage aside, the important thing about him was that he preached of love and peace. He had a like-minded group of followers, and together they spread concepts of tolerance and forgiveness. The religious and social aspects are unimportant right now. The important thing is that a man – a single, solitary man – made such an impact on his peers and contemporaries that his words are still being spoken of thousands of years later. Not everyone believes, but enough do that his words became gospel, gospel that millions of people give service to every minute of every day.

"Now think of the flip side of that coin. Take, for example..." Caralla paused, considering everything she had seen in her lifetime. "Okay, we'll keep this familiar. Consider Adolf Hitler. Known to a good portion of the world as one of the most evil men in existence. The genocide of the Jews is legend, and will likely be for many many more generations. And yet, if you had asked him, he was not evil. He truly considered what he was doing to be the right thing, the good thing."

"But he was a psychopath!" Jess said heatedly. Caralla smiled, though a bit sadly.

"He was a decorated war veteran, having earned the Iron Cross in World War I. He was an artist, a soldier, and before his brother's – and later his father's – deaths, he was an excellent student. He wanted to remain a soldier because he believed in what he fought for. It wasn't until after he got into the political field that he began to see that his ideas, his words, could have power. He saw the Jews as being Germany's great enemy, and determined that in order for his own people and the land he loved to flourish and expand, the threat had to be exterminated. Hitler was a man with dreams. Never once did he do anything for the sake of being evil, or because he enjoyed death and destruction and violence. He fought to make a suitable world for his people. Does that make his actions right? No. But think on this...if he had succeeded, he would be hailed as a hero and a founder of peace. History is written by the victors, after all." The room went silent and Caralla let the silence grow for a few moments before continuing.

"Do you see, now? Do you see how the lines can blur depending on who is looking at them? Now apply that to the problem the world faces now – a problem most are completely unaware of. How do you combine the forces of good and the forces of evil long enough to create a pure, untainted soul, especially when good and evil are subjective? And yet, time is growing short. Those we would tend to call evil have been experimenting for years, seeking ways to achieve this goal and coming no closer than they have ever been. From their attempts have come some of the creatures that share the world with humanity. Shapeshifters, vampires, angels, demons, faeries, ghosts...the groups that most term supernatural and whose existence many scoff at have been born from the Hellbound's repeated attempts to save the human race. Some of these creations are truly evil – others are simply seen as such. And yet none came into being except through the desire to save this rock full of mortal beings with immortal souls." She stood up and picked up her bowl, wandering to the kitchen and letting her audience digest the cornucopia of ideas and concepts she had so thoughtfully laid before them.


	2. Chapter 2

She hadn't been in the kitchen long before she heard soft footsteps behind her and knew who it was without turning.

"Caralla..." Angela's hesitant voice spoke quietly. The immortal turned and smiled reassuringly.

"Yes, Angela?"

"You...I mean, how...you seem to know a lot of things," the girl said, sheepish at her own lack of articulate ability. She cleared her throat and looked down at the floor for a long moment and Caralla gave her the time she needed to collect her thoughts. When she looked back up, there was determination in her eyes that overwhelmed the miniscule amount of discomfort. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

"What are you?"

Caralla smiled and gestured for the girl to sit down, knowing despite the conversation in the other room that at least her immortal friends were listening to every word she and Angela spoke. Taking a seat beside her, she smiled at the teen.

"I was wondering when you'd ask. Tell me this...what do _you_ think I am?" Her openness and curiosity had a soothing effect on Angela, who regarded her with speculative eyes.

"I'm...not exactly sure. You're not human." The brunette looked as though she was expecting a rebuttal, and her words became more certain when Caralla's only response was a blink. "I don't know what you are. My grandmother used to tell me to trust my instincts, the impressions I sometimes get. And right now everything in me is screaming that you're not a mortal. But I don't...well, I don't know _what_ you might be." Caralla smiled.

"Your grandmother was very wise. You're right, I'm not mortal. I'm not human. I never truly have been. Exactly _what_ I am is completely unimportant right now, however, so I think you'd best ask the other questions that are swirling in your mind." Angela just stared for a moment, obviously not having planned on the older woman capitulating so easily. Finally she got her ducks in a row, so to speak, and the kindness in Caralla's golden burgundy eyes seemed to give her strength.

"The Cullens – they're not human either, are they?" Caralla shook her head. "So what are they?"

"I believe you already know that. You've got the impressions in your mind. Look inward and tell me...what do you see?" She could see the girl's hesitance, knew that though Angela had the power within her the girl was untrained and still somewhat hesitant to trust her own thoughts. Finally, though, the dark-haired teen swallowed hard and looked down at the tabletop.

"They're vampires." Her words weren't a question, yet she looked up at Caralla as though to verify her own thoughts. The older woman simply nodded. "What, really? I mean – how – what..?" Caralla couldn't stop the chuckle that burst free.

"You truly are special, Angela," she murmured. "You want to know what, why, how. Most people would have just bolted for the door screaming."

"Why would I do that? They've always been nice to me, and they're being great with Jess now, with the baby and all...erm..." Caralla just smiled, and Angela sighed. "Yeah, it's not surprising you know that too. At any rate, the Cullens have never caused problems for anyone that I know of. Doctor Cullen is a fantastic addition to the hospital -" The vampiress chuckled as the girl flushed a light pink, but carried on gamely. "- and Mrs Cullen is just wonderfully nice. And I'm getting to know Edward and Jasper and Alice better, and they're awesome. But why are they here?"

"You should ask them that sometime. I'm certain they would love to tell you." Caralla paused and regarded Angela with a measuring gaze. "Tell me, do you often get impressions about the world around you?"

"All the time," the quiet girl said. "I don't usually tell anyone. Jess knows some, but we've been friends since we were little, so it's only to be expected. I haven't told anyone else. I know that Alice sees things sometimes – she gets a similar look on her face that I've been told is on mine when I get a really strong sense of something." Angela sighed. "It's nice to be able to tell someone. I mean, most people..." She trailed off and Caralla placed her hand over the girl's in a comforting fashion.

"I understand. It's freeing to find someone that will listen and not judge. It's that way for me too."

"Really?"

"Yes. I have lived a _very_ long time, and I've learned to love all life. But that doesn't mean that there are many chances for me to allow anyone to get to know me. Carlisle and his family are the closest thing I have had to a family of my own in thousands of years. So I understand the relief that comes with being able to share parts of yourself that no one else knows."

"How do you know them? If you don't mind me asking – I mean, you don't have to say anything." Angela seemed to finally realize that she was being nosy, but Caralla just waved it away with a smile.

"I've known Carlisle since he was changed. I met him a short time after his mortal life had ended, and he traveled with me for a while."

"So people really can become vampires? What about other creatures. You mentioned shapeshifters and ghosts and some other things. Are they all real too?" Caralla nodded. "Wow. I never...I mean, I had a feeling, but...whoa. That is awesome." She was smiling now, excitement at her knew knowledge glimmering in her eyes before they darkened with another thought. "So I was right, then...Lili isn't human either, I'd bet money."

"Have you talked to her much?" Caralla asked. Angela shook her head.

"Just a bit in class and at lunch. Then there was the explosion and...well, I haven't seen her since. But I know there's something different about her. I just can't put my finger on it." She looked up again. "Do you know her?"

"No, but I plan to very soon. It's not a coincidence that everything is happening now. I trust you know what I'm talking about?"

"Something's coming. I can tell it's big. But I don't know what." The conversation from the living room was beginning to die down and Caralla stood, reaching for Angela's hand and drawing the girl up with her.

"We'll have to get together and have a nice long chat in the next couple days. There are a lot of things you need to know and to learn. But for right now, we should head back in with the others. I know they have questions as well, and I am charged with answering them."

"Okay," the younger woman responded with a nod and accompanied the graceful immortal back to the rest of the gathered group.

* * *

Lili lay on the bed beside Luc, feeling her friend's weariness and the occasional shiver as the remnants of his former master's power wreaked havoc on his very being. Her thoughts were whirling. If Marchosias were truly here, in this quiet little town, she knew she would need help. The Demon Lord could only be here for one thing – the prevention of the very thing Luc and Lili were working so hard towards. Luc would need to be able to face him when it came time, but her partner was right – it was near impossible to forge a physical link between a ranking Hellbound and a mortal. For starters, there needed to be some kind of mental link first, otherwise the death of the human was assured. It was the same for her kind, though not as severe. She thought to her own mind-bonding moment with Jake, and as the warmth of that so-brief connection flared through her, she realized she'd been overlooking something.

"Luc?"

"Yes?" His voice was so weary and it broke her heart to hear her friend so beaten. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and urged him to turn to face her.

"You already have a mental bond," she whispered. "With a mortal." She saw his eyes widen as he understood her line of thinking.

"Lili – I can't. Jess is...she's fragile. If I tried to...I mean...I can't bear to think of harming her or her child." Lili smiled, excitement in her eyes.

"Don't you see, Luc? You have a mental link to the mother – but you would form the bond with the child!" He looked at her, slightly baffled, and she arched an eyebrow. "Or have you forgotten about the Hellbound's ability to essence bond with an unborn?" He blinked, and she could tell that yes, he had forgotten. He was still apprehensive, though.

"But, I've never tried that. I don't even know if it would work. And if I hurt her..." he trailed off, and she laid one slim hand on his jaw.

"And _that_, my love, is exactly _why_ she would be completely safe. You couldn't bear to do anything to hurt her. So you'd be extra careful, and you would make sure she felt as much pleasure as you could give her."

"Lili, I can't. She was raped. Repeatedly. The thought of a man's touch is most likely akin to poison to her right now. I can't put her through that. She's so young, so breakable. So special. I just...I can't." The platinum-haired nymph shook her head, a small smile having taken up apparently permanent residence on her lips.

"Are you listening to yourself?" she murmured with fond amusement. "You're already attached to her. In fact, I'd bet she is destined for you much like Jake is for me...whether they know it or not yet. Besides, you're a Hellbound. Where do you think your protective nature towards this random mortal is coming from? That's not a common thing at all for your kind, you know?" She grinned. "Besides, by the way she seems to react to you, I'd say she's not entirely averse to the idea..." She chuckled as his eyes went blank, obviously remembering something specific, and couldn't resist prodding. "I'm right, aren't I?"

"We...almost kissed. Once."

"See?" she crowed triumphantly. "If she were truly against intimacy with men, she likely wouldn't have allowed herself so close to you. Luc, it's the answer to our problems. You have to see that." She saw his reluctant half-nod and curled up against his chest.

"But I can't just walk up to her and proposition her. What would I say? I don't think truth would go over very well." His voice took on a mocking tone. "Hi, Jess. See, we're having this issue with a Demon Lord and the end of mortal life as we know it, so in order for me to be at peak strength I have to take you to bed and share some of my essence with your baby so I have a link to the mortal plane. So, how 'bout it? Wanna go find a quiet spot and let me rock your world?" Lili couldn't help but laugh out loud, slapping his shoulder lightly.

"Luc, be serious. You know I'm right. And with how she already reacts to you, I get the feeling it won't be nearly as hard as you're making it out to be."

"Oh yeah? Well, I haven't seen you mating with your shifter yet," he countered snarkily, and it was her turn to stammer.

"I...I mean, I haven't...I don't know how – oh, do shut up," she said exasperatedly, flopping down against him and feeling his chuckle rumble through his chest.

"Take your own advice, my love," he said with a grin. "You already know you can't hurt him – hell, he survived the mind bond. You know that means he's strong enough to breed you. And you can't tell me that idea doesn't get you hot – I've reaped the rewards of that line of thinking too often for you to deny it." He winked.

"Luc," she said with a sigh. "You really can be aggravating, you know that?" He smiled and stifled a yawn.

"Absolutely. Now, I think I need to go to sleep...unless you're not done giving me instructions on my sex life?" She shook her head with a laugh.

"Go to sleep. I'll be right here." Soon the room was quiet save for the soft breathing of the two non-mortals. Would that their sleeping minds were as quiet.


	3. Chapter 3

Sure enough, the questions started as soon as Caralla had reentered the living room. It seemed almost everyone had one, and the cacophony of all of them speaking at once had her slumping in her chair and holding up her hand for silence, a wry smile on her face.

"Do I have to institute a 'take a number' system, or can everyone calm down enough to find some order?" she chuckled, seeing the abashed looks on the group when they realized that they'd all been talking at the same time. Angela snorted from her place on the couch, and Jess just looked over at her. Caralla saw the brunette mouth 'later' to her friend, who seemed content with that answer.

"You mentioned that the...Hellbound?" She nodded at Jake's questioning tone and the boy continued. "That these Hellbound created all sorts of supernatural creatures in their...well, in their quest to make a pure child. Does that mean that all of the non-human-type creatures in the world are failed experiments?" She could see the worry in his eyes.

"Not exactly. I suppose from one angle, yes, you could say that. They set out to create one thing and created something completely different. So in that case, yes, these new beings were failures in that they weren't what their makers had wanted to begin with. However over time most of these groups have found ways of living and interacting with the world and the people and other creatures within. They have made this world their own, and there are few that wouldn't fight for it in their own way, so I would see that as being an unintentional success on the part of the experimenters rather than an unmitigated failure. Whether or not said experimenters would feel that way...that I've no idea." She could see that her answer was both more and less than the teen had wanted to hear, and she smiled gently at him. "Jake, don't take it to heart. If you nurtured a sapling you thought was an apple tree and it turned out to be peach instead, would that make its fruit any less delicious? Or would it be just an unexpected treat?" Somewhat mollified, he settled back into the couch cushions again. Caralla noticed the perceptive brunette girl eyeing him with a very calculating look, only to see her eyes widen when her internal instincts kicked in. She looked up at Caralla with a question in her eyes and the elder just nodded slightly. _Yes, sometime in the next few days I have to have a long chat with Miss Angela,_ she thought inwardly.

"You called them 'creators' and 'experimenters'," Jasper said, his soft drawl making his words sound even more thoughtful. "But how did they manage to make these new creatures, anyway? Is it like selective crossbreeding or something?" _Of course he would be the one to ask for the details of origin,_ she thought fondly.

"Do you want all the details or just the basics?"

"Let's start with the basics," he grinned.

"The basics...hmm. How to explain? I suppose it would be most accurate to say that, having decided to try and create a pure soul, they tried first to combine the essences of souls that had already lived out a mortal life. In their endeavors they asked for volunteers from those in – well, the masters of Purgatory, as Carlisle would say -" She winked at the elder Cullen and he just shook his head with a chuckle. "Once they'd secured a number of those souls that were willing to help them in their trials, they returned to the mortal planes and requested the assistance of the banished souls...those who had lived lives of cruelty and malice, the ones that had been chained to the world they could no longer interact with, destined to wander the earth forever as punishment for their horrific actions while alive.

"I don't have the foggiest idea of how these Hellbound got the idea to try and merge a good soul with an evil one, but they somehow managed to make it work...just not in the way they wanted. Instead of good and evil canceling themselves out and leaving a blank slate as they had hoped, the souls ended up bound in eternal hatred and pain. Once joined, it quickly became obvious that there was no way to separate them. It was...a hideous result. There was no hope for these new abominations. They tried again and again, different techniques, different combinations – all had the same result. Before long they had an entire realm of souls so tormented and anguished that they had to give up on that entire line of endeavors. It was then that they realized something even worse...they could not exterminate these creatures they'd made. It seemed that only the Creator had the power to eradicate a soul. Not only had the immortals managed to invent an entirely new line of beings, but they couldn't even put the tortured ones out of their misery. It was a harsh blow for the Hellbound. Eventually they ended up setting aside an area of their own realm to house these creatures, using them for menial tasks and mostly trying to forget that they'd been the ones to cause such pain. The Joined Ones, as they became known, were regretfully classed as an acceptable casualty and it was back to the drawing board."

"That's terrible!" Jess said, indignant. "To just write off a whole bunch of things _they_ made because it wasn't convenient to deal with them? That's so wrong. Maybe there's a reason these monsters are called 'Hellbound'." Caralla just looked at her sadly.

"You say that because you are on the outside looking at. It's far more difficult to make a decision on something so drastic when you're on the inside, not knowing what to do or how to fix what you've broken. It was...the first in a long line of mistakes." Jess didn't seem convinced, but Caralla knew she wouldn't be, so she continued anyway.

"Their next thought was to try to combine an evil soul with a good person on the verge of death – someone who was already destined for the immortal realms. That, also, was a failure. Human beings by their very nature are not designed to be able to harbor more than one immortal soul per body. Introducing a second soul...well, the results were not pretty. In most cases the physical body would perish from the strain and the then-conjoined souls would be set free, though always bound. One half of the soul would continually strive for the immortal realm, but it would be hindered by the evil soul that would forever be tethered to earthly non-existence. The result was something more ghost than soul, and it would come as no surprise that it would be a vengeful creature.

"After that fiasco, they changed their plans a bit. Since blood was the life force of the living body, to them it made sense to see if they could find a way to introduce an evil soul into the blood of a good human."

"Why were they always trying to put evil in with good? Couldn't they have done it the other way?" Emmett seemed a bit confused, as did some of the others, so she took a brief moment to explain.

"Keep in mind, the first batch of good souls that had volunteered for the first trials had been horrendously destroyed and doomed to eternal suffering. Do you really think any more would have volunteered after seeing what had happened to their brethren? On the other hand, evil souls were plentiful in the mortal realm, and as they were doomed anyway, it was much easier to convince them to be part of the experiments."

"Gotcha," the burly vampire said with a nod and a wave for her to continue. Caralla took up the thread of her story once more.

"So...evil spirit into the blood of a good human. It didn't go so well either. For the most part it seemed that there was no effect whatsoever...until the human died, of course. Then the soul that had been laying dormant within the blood took over the body, expending its energy to essentially reanimate the corpse. Unfortunately, this energy needed to be replenished if the soul didn't want to lose its mortal form...which, of course, the evil souls would not want to give up even the semblance of mortality after having been isolated from life for so long. Some of these reanimated souls learned that they could replenish their own energy by eating other living beings. In time they came to know that it was the blood of the living creatures that they needed." She could see by their eyes that everyone knew exactly where this part of her tale was headed, and the expressions ranged from horror to shock to disbelief. She nearly chuckled.

"And thus were created blood sucking demons – vampires, as they would come to be known. These first blood drinkers were powerful, ruthless, and completely unconcerned with anything that didn't directly affect them. Eventually these vampire-creatures learned that they could, with some effort, separate bits of their essence and send it into other living creatures via the bloodstream as well. Without fail, if the unknowing host survived the transfer, it would be reborn as a new vampire. Few survived it, but there were enough that the population began to ever-so-slowly grow and spread."

"My God," Esme whispered from her spot in Carlisle's arms. She looked paler than usual. In fact, they all did. Even Carlisle looked distinctly unnerved, and Caralla shrugged apologetically. She knew this would not be an easy thing for any of them to hear. A glance at Bella showed her that even the human was shaken up a bit, but she could still see the determination in the girl's brown eyes and felt comforted that she hadn't deterred the young one from the path she had chosen.

"Now, having seen that the blood idea wasn't working, the researchers turned to other ideas. Plan after plan was tried out – nothing ever worked. Trying to combine the soul of a new human child with the essence of an animal, for example...the purity of the infant's soul being seen as having the best chance to fuse with the naturally balanced spirit of the animal – well, thus were unintentionally born the creatures we know as shapeshifters now." Jake looked like someone had punched him in the gut.

"These trials went on for ages, and more and more non-human creatures came into being. Meanwhile, the immortal realms were far from peaceful." She paused, gathering her thoughts again. "In the Celestial realm, they were horrified at the attempts of their Hellbound brethren to subvert the curse. As such they granted their protection to the good creatures that were being made. Regardless of origin or design, the portals of Heaven, as it were, were open and welcoming to any creature on earth that chose to live up to the original standards of peace, love, and harmony that were gifted to humanity. If a supernatural creature wished to live their life for good, then on their death they would be greeted in Heaven with open hearts – no being would have its origin held against it.

"Meanwhile, in the Hellbound's realm, the Joined Ones decided they would have their vengeance. They shed the label of Joined Ones, seeing that name as yet another indignity heaped on them by their careless creators. They chose to think of themselves collectively as the Dark Ones. Under the less-than-observant noses of the very ones who created them, the Dark Ones opened their arms to all of those creatures that chose to walk the path of evil. Those filled with rage, with hatred and with fear were welcome to join the Dark Ones and revel in their negativity. Since not even the Dark Ones had the power to harm their creators, instead they focused all of their anger on the mortal realm, knowing that in doing so they would be upsetting not only their makers but those of the other realms as well. These self-styled demon lords of Hell began a reign of tyranny and pain that exists even now.

"The original Hellbound were horrified. They had only wanted to help, to save this little rock of mortal beings. How did everything go so very wrong?"

"The road to Hell is paved with good intentions," murmured Edward, and Caralla nodded her agreement.

"Exactly. Regardless of the hopes and dreams of the Hellbound, in their haste and desire to make the world a better and safer place they essentially created its destruction. Through their meddling they constructed the one thing they never wanted to – an entire race of beings that was pure evil."

"That's awful," Angela said quietly, and Caralla knew the girl was understanding more than her companions.

"Yes, it is. The Hellbound finally had to give up on their endeavors and most of them either fled to the mortal world to attempt to escape the horror they'd inadvertently unleashed, or begged sanctuary with their brethren in other realms. With their defection, there was nothing to stop the Dark Ones from assuming total control of the third realm. It truly became Hell, in more ways than one, and the Dark Ones took over the name of Hellbound as a mark of defiance and of pride. They had been bound to the realm by their makers – but they would rule it as they saw fit. They began to amass their armies, the creatures that willingly fled to their dark arms, and send them forth to wreak havoc and chaos around the world. They were also powerful enough at this time to subjugate the more peaceful supernatural creatures, often using or enslaving them for their own purposes. They were not concerned with the mortal world at all – they were completely focused on their own desires. Soon enough they realized that the mortals were simply in their way, and that they would have much more reign over all they surveyed if the humans were simply eradicated. And so they began to actively thwart any and all attempts to halt or subvert Div's vengeance."

"So they're working against saving the world?" Rosalie asked, and Caralla nodded.

"And that's why we're all here. For some reason or another – something not even I can understand yet – we have all been called to stand against these forces. All of us in this room are being given the chance to try and save everything we know. I would also lay money that the new people in town are a part of this as well." She saw how both Jess and Jake stared at her, their eyes wide, and she took note of that reaction. Things were making a bit more sense to her now as the pieces filled in.

"You mean, Luc and Lili?" the blond girl asked softly. Caralla nodded.

"I need to meet them to be certain, but I am as sure as I can be without having actually seen them. They are part of this as well." She sighed unnecessarily, suddenly feeling very weary. "I just wish I knew which part."


	4. Chapter 4

The ringing of a cellphone shattered the thoughtful moment, and Bella blushed sheepishly as she reached into her pocket, heading for the kitchen as she answered.

"Hey, Charlie...no, no, I'm still at the Cullen's...yeah, we're all just hanging out...no, Jess and Angela are over here too...yeah, it just turned out to be one big barbeque...I know it's getting...no, we're just cleaning up...don't worry, I'll be home soon. With food...yeah, okay...okay...see you in a bit...yeah, bye." She wandered back into the group, shrugging her shoulders. "Charlie wants me home," she said. "Sorry, guys. Guess the I've gotta head out." Edward rose smoothly to his feet while Esme darted into the kitchen. Jess and Angela looked at each other, getting up from their seats as well.

"We should probably be getting home, too. It's been an awesome night!" the blond said cheerfully. The quiet brunette just nodded, turning to Caralla.

"It's been a pleasure to meet you," she said softly. The Ancient One smiled, walking over to the two girls.

"I'm very glad to have met you as well. I'd really like a chance to talk to you both soon. Perhaps we can all get together again sometime."

"I'd like that too," Angela said shyly, still a bit in awe over the woman before her as well as the revelations she'd had that night. Jess just smiled and nodded, not saying anything. Caralla hugged each of them before walking over to Bella. In a motion completely casual she walked with the girl to the front door. Her reasons were obvious as she began speaking once they were out of mortal earshot.

"Bella, your friend Angela is...very perceptive," the older woman said. "She knows what the Cullens are, she knows I'm not human either, and I believe she's realized that your shifter friend isn't quite what he's pretending to be, either."

"Shit!" Bella gasped, but the other woman shook her head.

"It's okay. In fact, I believe the next time we all gather, we should do so with full disclosure. Jessica will need to know as well, especially if this Luc and Lili are what I think they are. We're going to need to gather them to us as well, and soon. Would there be some valid reason you or one of the others might have for inviting them here? I don't wish to be seen by too many people in this town quite yet." Bella thought for a moment, knowing not to ask Caralla's reasons for her wishes. After a bit, she nodded.

"Alice was supposed to be throwing a party this weekend, but with the explosion at the school I don't know if she still wanted to go through with it."

"Very well. I'll speak to her once you've all left. That might be the best idea, actually, as you can be sure that a family such as the Cullens would wish to welcome new townsfolk graciously. It would be a very reasonable thing to invite the new folk to a soiree."

"Caralla...what do you think they are? Do you really think Lili is an angel, like Carlisle does?" Caralla just shook her head.

"Something tells me this is not nearly as cut-and-dried as all that. But we'll see. At any rate, I think it's about time for you to head back to your father's house." By that point they'd reached the door, and Bella could hear voices as Angie, Jess, and Jake all wandered in talking amongst themselves. She turned towards them to see Esme walking in as well, four large containers full of leftovers in her hands. She handed one to each of them, smiling gently as everyone thanked her.

"Nonsense," she murmured, hugging each of them in turn – Bella struggling not to grin at the expression on Jake's face. "There was way too much food for all of us to finish," she continued. Angela just smiled, a small twitch of her lips, and muttered 'no, really?' under her breath. Edward walked up then as well, followed by the rest of the family, and goodbyes were effusive, genuinely fond, and tinged with a bit of amazement on the parts of the two mortal girls that were still not used to being surrounded by so much beauty...and the shapeshifter who was not accustomed to being on pleasant grounds with a bunch of bloodsuckers. Eventually, though, Bella was sliding into the Volvo, waving at Angie and Jess as they – still flustered – got into the back seat of the Mercedes. Esme was riding along with Carlisle to take them home, and Bella chuckled to herself knowing that her friends would likely be tongue-tied the entire way, though she knew the Cullen matriarch would do her best to make them feel at ease. Then they were pulling out of the driveway and heading down the road and she relaxed into the seat, reaching out with one hand to twine her fingers with Edward's.

"So Caralla wants to have the party," he murmured. She just nodded, having known her family would be able to hear the conversation she'd had. "I wonder how many people will still be willing to show up? After the debacle at the school and with the news of Newton's death, most of the town is really shaken."

"I don't know," she shrugged. "But I think we should trust Caralla. She still seems to know more than she's told us, and if she says she needs to meet the two new people, I think she should meet them."

"Oh, I wasn't suggesting arguing with her," he said with a wry grin. "I just wonder how it will work out." There was a pause before he continued, somewhat hesitantly. "Alice is worried. She can hardly see what tomorrow brings now, even with just us. She says there's something like a shroud over it – fuzzy, like a gauze curtain. She says it's like being able to make out shapes, perhaps hints of colors, but not being able to actually see anything. It's got her freaked out – aside from the werewolves, she's not used to being...blind, I suppose." He was concerned, and Bella was too, but as there was nothing either of them could do or say, conversation lapsed. They were still silent when he pulled up in front of Charlie's house. She plastered a smile on her face, seeing him do the same, and they walked arm-in-arm up the stairs. She knew her father would have been watching out the window, and she didn't want to give him any reason to believe the night had been anything less than great. Really, it had been amazing, but not in any sense she wanted him to know about. He just...wasn't ready to handle it. At the door Edward kissed her goodnight, murmured a 'see you soon,' and headed back to his car. She watched until it was out of sight and then turned and walked in. Sure enough, her father was sitting innocently on the couch, remote in hand. She just chuckled and shook her head.

"I'm home!" she said. "I think Esme sent enough leftovers to feed Serbia – hope you're hungry." He looked up, feigning surprise, and wandered into the kitchen.

"So, did you have fun?" he asked, watching avidly as she began to dip out a plate of food for him, tossing it in the microwave for a minute while she put the rest in the fridge. He sat down at the table and gestured for her to join him, and as much as she just wanted to go upstairs and cuddle with her mate she decided it would be in her best interests to acquiesce for the moment. Pulling out a chair, she set his plate in front of him and took a seat across from him, watching with a smile as he dug in.

"It was awesome. Alice and I decided to invite Angie and Jess over, and Jake came as well, so we all just sat out and grilled and then went inside and hung out for a while." That was about as general as she could make it, but it seemed to satisfy him, for the most part.

"Jacob?" he asked around a mouthful of food. "I thought he didn't like the Cullens." She just chuckled.

"It's not so much that he didn't like the Cullens, but that he didn't like Edward." She saw that sink in and he nodded, being as unwilling to pursue the subject of his daughter as an object of male interest as she was to discuss it at all.

"Well, as long as you had a good day," he mumbled.

"It was a good day," she affirmed. "Good, but long." She didn't have to fake the yawn that came out then, but she couldn't have asked for better timing. "I think I'm gonna head to bed." He nodded, swallowing before speaking.

"I've got to head to work early tomorrow, and I probably won't be home until late. This whole mess..." he trailed off and she nodded her understanding.

"That's okay. I was planning on just hanging around here tomorrow anyway. Might invite Angie or Jess over to watch tv or whatever."

"That's fine," he assented and she stood up, heading for the stairs. His voice stopped her.

"Hey, Bella?" She turned back to him. "Thanks. You know, for...staying close to home and all. I know it's got to be cramping your style...or...whatever." He looked a bit sheepish and she just shrugged.

"This whole thing with the explosion and with...with Mike – well, it has everyone upset. I don't mind."

"Well, thanks anyway. Gives me one less thing to worry about." He made a shooing motion with his hand. "Now go get some sleep." He returned to his meal and she smiled and headed to bed.

Edward was there, as she knew he would be. After changing into her nightclothes she wriggled up against him, arranging herself comfortably. But rather than talking quietly as she'd planned, the events of the entire day seemed to crash down on her, leaving her tired and mentally worn, and within the space of a few mortal heartbeats she was sleeping soundly in the arms of her immortal love.

* * *

At the girls' request the Cullen parents dropped them both off at Jess' house. The trip had been a bit less...overwhelming...with Esme in the car, but both humans breathed a sigh of relief once they were inside and away from the mind-boggling intensity of the Cullen family. In unison they flopped down on the overstuffed couch, leaning their heads back against the cushions. Jess turned her head towards Angie, a wry grin on her face.

"I'm so glad I'm not the only one affected by them," she muttered with a chuckle. "This way I know it's not just hormones." The brunette shook her head.

"No...that is one seriously impressive family." It seemed she might have said something further, but she changed her mind and the subject at the same time.

"So – about Luc." She saw Jess snap to attention, and the worry she felt was mirrored in the other girl's eyes, though she'd bet they weren't worried about the same things.

"What about him?" Jess asked hesitantly.

"Caralla thinks he and his sister might be part of...all this. Whatever 'this' is." The blond stayed silent. "Jess, I'm worried."

"About what?" her friend asked.

"About you. And him. You seem to be...fixated on him." Angie tried to keep her voice even, so as not to make the other girl defensive.

"Ang, it's just...well, I...oh hell, I don't know. Maybe you're right. I can't seem to get him out of my mind lately." She paused, eyes fluttering shut with a sigh. "He smells like cinnamon."

"What?" Angie blinked a couple of times, shifting on the couch until she was leaning against the arm and facing her best friend.

"He does. It's a warm cinnamon smell...kind of smooth and tangy at the same time." Jess' voice took on a dreamy quality, and Angela just watched as she began to ramble. "And he's so tall...I just feel tiny next to him. But not in a bad way – he makes me feel, I don't know, safe. Protected. Like he'd tear apart anything or anyone that tried to hurt me. He's got the strongest arms I've ever felt. And those eyes. I could just drown in them. He's..." she seemed to snap out of it and looked at the brunette sheepishly. "I guess you might be right. I can't seem to stop thinking about him."

"I'm not so sure that's a good thing. What do you really know about him?"

"I know he's a gentleman. I know he's kind, that he has a very strong sense of morals in his own way. And I know I..." she trailed off, face flushing a bright red. "Never mind." The blond waved her hand as though to brush aside what she had been about to say, but Angie wasn't having any of it.

"You know you what?"

"Nothing. Forget I said anything."

"Jessica Stanley. When have we ever kept secrets?" Angela's voice was reproachful, and her friend just sighed.

"I know, I know. But I...I just don't have everything straight in my own mind yet."

"Well, talk to me. Maybe I can help." At the earnest look on the brunette's face, Jess sighed again.

"I don't...I don't know, Angie. I don't know anything." She took a deep breath and leaned her head back again, looking at the ceiling but not really noticing it. "After Mike...well, after everything, I feel like, like I'm not good enough. Like it was somehow my fault." She held up a hand to forestall the argument she knew was about to explode from the other girl's mouth. "My mind knows I'm wrong, that I'm not to blame, but it's...Angie, it's so hard. To not feel guilty. Dirty. Bad. Like I'm so soiled I don't want the rest of the world to touch me because I'm afraid it will rub off and make everything else dirty too.

"But Luc...when I'm with him, I don't feel that way at all. I feel like I'm important. Cared for. Like I'm someone worthwhile again. It's...it's a wonderful feeling. Just by being there he has this calming effect, this way of looking at me, of treating me, and it makes all the negativity I've felt for so long just...fade away, almost. Like – well, not like it never happened, but like it's something I shouldn't worry about. I just feel so at peace when I'm around him. It's not a feeling I've had a lot of lately." She laughed, low and melancholy. "And when we almost kissed, it was like everything in my world was suddenly becoming right again. Everything that's felt so wrong, so disconnected – so painful and out-of-place – it all just faded and settled and I felt like I'd...like I'd come home." She looked at the other girl then, a self-deprecating smile on her face. "And now you're going to think that I'm just having mood swings or something."

Angie was quiet for a moment, letting her mind wander over everything she'd learned that night, trying to see where the pieces fit together, but it was like she was only seeing half of the puzzle. She sighed and leaned over, resting her hand on her friend's.

"I don't think that. Really. I'm just worried. Everything that's been happening, and all the feelings I've been getting...something tells me your baby is a key part to this. And not knowing Luc – really, not even knowing Lili though I've at least met her – it makes me nervous that you're so connected to him. What if it's all wrong? What if what Caralla told us is actually true? How do we trust anyone or anything new? Jess, I just don't want you to get hurt again. I wasn't able to see it the first time – I'll always feel guilty for not realizing what was going on."

"It wasn't your fault, Ang!" the blond protested.

"I know it wasn't, but I knew something was wrong. I should have pushed. I should have said something. Maybe...maybe it wouldn't have gone as far as it did." There was quiet, but then Jess shook her head, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"If we're going to choose to believe Caralla, then we've got to trust your gut instinct as well, that my baby is part of all of this. Which means that for whatever reason this was bound to happen. I'm not happy, and I would never wish this one anyone, ever. But if it's important then maybe...maybe this is how it's supposed to play out." The two girls sat in contemplative silence, minds reeling with thoughts and feelings and fears as they tried to make sense out of any of it.


End file.
